How to Level the Ground to Install Brick Pavers

Installing brick pavers for a walkway or patio area can give your home a dramatic new look. If you are handling the project yourself, you can install pavers to match your specific preferences. The final leveling process will take place after the pavers are laid out over the bed of sand. The sand bed allows for fine tuning of the placement of pavers stones during the installation process.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shovel
• 2x4 wood
• Gravel
• Power or hand tamper
• Filter fabric
• Plastic trimming
• Oversized stakes
• Hammer or mallet
• Bed sand

1. Dig out the sod in the area in which the pavers will be installed. Dig the area deep enough to accommodate 4 to 6 inches of gravel, a 1-inch bed of sand and the paver stones.

2. Roughly level the subbase with a 4- to 6-foot 2x4, by dragging it lengthwise across the dirt. Use a 4-foot level to keep the area level. Remove any twigs or stones that may obstruct the work area.

3. Fill the subbase with 4 to 6 inches of gravel. Compress the gravel using a power or hand tamper.

4. Cover the compressed gravel with filter fabric. Once the fabric is in place, lay plastic trim along the edges of the area where the paver stones will be installed. Hammer oversized stakes into the plastic trim to hold it and the filter fabric in place. This trim will keep the stones in place after they are installed.

5. Shovel a 1-inch layer of bed sand over the filter fabric. Drag the 4-foot level across the bed sand to smooth it out; pay attention to the level's bubble to ensure the surface is level.

6. Install the paver stones.

References

• Installing Pavers in Sand